How to get rid of the fear of the dark: useful tips

Each person, regardless of age, gender and social status, has his own fears. Even a seasoned adult man, easily dealing with a gang of hooligans in the gateway, may be afraid of something unusual. Fear of heights, spiders, confined spaces or water can constrain movement, leading to a panic state. Especially often, people suffer from the fear of the dark. After all, darkness is an unknown in which anything can happen. Our wild fantasy can transform dark outlines into scary monsters, and subtle lights can turn into the eyes of a formidable monster. But how to get rid of this fear? Is it possible to overcome the fear of the dark on my own? Let's try to figure it out.

Why are we afraid of the dark

The fear of the dark is called nikofobiya. Over time, if this psychological state of a person is not treated, it can progress. Such patients cannot sleep without light; any dimly lit room seems uncomfortable to them. But why does this fear arise?

1. Man is a social being. We are used to seeing everything, managing everything, controlling everything. If a person does not see well-lit objects around him, he falls into a panic due to lack of control and ignorance.
2. Human visual vision is designed in such a way that the eye perceives only whole objects. If for some reason we do not see the object completely, the eye subconsciously “draws” this object. A person’s imagination is rich, so objects can be finished as you wish.
3. Since ancient times, man has not been accustomed to live in the dark. All senses are developed to work during daylight hours. During the day, a man hunted, earned his livelihood, and at night hid in a shelter. That is why darkness is subconsciously associated with danger.
4. Sometimes the fear of the dark is caused by some events. Perhaps in the darkness of a person someone scared. Here you can often find fears that come from childhood. One mother’s careless phrase, “A monster will come out of the dark room and eat you,” can cause serious fears in the child’s head, which is very difficult to manage even in adulthood.

Whatever the fear and whatever it is caused, one must fight it. You can’t turn a blind eye to your worries, you need to act!

How to get rid of nihophobia

1. First, decide what you are afraid of. In the afternoon, in a relaxed atmosphere, try to talk to yourself honestly - what exactly scares you? What will the monster grab you by the leg? Or will thieves break into your apartment? Or maybe you are afraid of an earthquake? Each fear has its own nature, and in order to suppress it, one must struggle with its origin.
2. If you are afraid that strangers will burst into your apartment, be sure to close the doors to all the locks. Believe me, it’s impossible to break through such a defense. If you are afraid of earthquakes, read the emergency procedures.
3. Often, many fears are tied to otherworldly objects. It seems to us that the outlines of a hand with long fingers stand out on the wall or we see the silhouette of a stranger in the doorway. Understand that all these are objects of your imagination. Most often, such fears arise after watching a horror movie. You do not need to watch such films if you suffer from nihophobia. And especially, do it before bedtime.
4. If you can’t sleep at all in the dark, buy a night lamp. He does not spend a lot of electricity, does not interfere with sleep. But it creates light illumination so that there are no prerequisites for various kinds of fears.
5. If you have a terrible “face” on the wall, try to remember it.In the morning, look at the place where you saw an awesome vision. Perhaps in the dark it looks like a wallpaper or a shadow from a tree. In the daytime, fear will seem unreasonable to you.
6. To defeat your fear, you need to laugh at it. Watch parodies of famous horror films - they are incredibly funny and exciting.
7. In order not to think about the bad, you need to unwind. Read a good book with a happy ending, talk with loved ones, watch a good TV show. Music will help calm down and relieve anxiety. Go to bed with your favorite songs and melodies in your headphones and the alarm will go away.
8. If you are frightened by strange sounds, try to deal with them. If no one at home hears them, record them on the recorder. Sometimes the cause of strange sounds can be a simple mouse or creaking floorboards in the apartment next door. Having learned the cause of sounds, fear will disappear.
9. To save less time for fear, create comfortable conditions for sleeping. The temperature in the room should be about 22 degrees. It has been proven that in cool air, sleep is much stronger and longer.
10. To calm down before going to bed, you can meditate, take a bath with a decoction of soothing herbs, and use aromatic oils.
11. Do not think about the bad, take your thoughts to the urgent problems. Think about what you will do tomorrow, what you will take with you on vacation, and how you will spend the next holiday.
12. To keep your sleep deep, exclude any possibility of daytime rest. If you sleep during the day, it will be much more difficult to fall asleep in the evening, at which time the fear of the darkness will simply torment you. And you need to go to bed no later than 22 hours - at this time the body is most ready to go to bed.
13. If you feel unbearably scared, sit on the bed and start breathing deeply. A large dose of oxygen entering the body is able to activate life processes and minimize fear.

These simple tips will help you relax and sleep peacefully all night. But what if a child suffers from nihophobia?

How to help your child get rid of the fear of the dark

Most often this happens with children, who, due to age, were moved to their own room. If this is your case, do not chop everything in the bud, do it gradually. Having settled in his room, the baby should not know that he is left alone. At first, read fairy tales to the child and stay with him until he falls asleep. Do not forget to leave the nightlight on for the night so that the baby does not get scared when he wakes up at night alone.

Be sure to give your child a toy that the baby will take with him to bed. If the baby in fear ran to you at night in bed - do not drive him. Let me be safe under my mother’s wing. You can buy a child in the room a special nightlight with stars and the moon, which will distract the child from fears and anxieties. And do not ridicule the child’s fears in any case. You are the closest person for your crumbs, whom, if not he can trust you?

Fear of the dark most often arises in childhood. If you do not treat him and do not fight him, he goes into adulthood, often leading a person to panic attacks. If fear builds up and you can’t cope with it on your own, you need to contact a therapist. He will find out the true cause of your fears and help you figure out your emotions.

Video: how a child can overcome niacophobia